Meteorologists say a wind gust atop the Northeast’s highest mountain hit 171 mph, setting a record for the month on a peak known for its extreme weather.
Monday’s gust on New Hampshire’s Mount Washington beat the previous February wind record of 166 mph set in 1972. It was also the strongest wind recorded there in any month since 1985.
Staff at the Mount Washington Observatory say the building rumbled and windows flexed from pressure changes as they gathered around equipment charting the gusts.
A 231-mph (371-kph) wind gust on the 6,288-foot (1,916-meter) mountain in 1934 remains the highest wind speed ever observed by man.
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The Associated Press